Tomorrow marks the first Cleveland Browns game of the 2016 regular season. They will face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road and everyone is excited to see what Hue Jackson and the team have in store for the Browns faithful.
As the game draws closer, we here at NEOSI thought we should give you some predictions for the game and a final score.
Nathaniel Bodnar:
Another season, another hopeful Cleveland Browns fan base. The city of Cleveland and it’s fans are absolutely outstanding. The amount of passion and heart this city has for it’s sports teams should not go unnoticed. After the Cavaliers won the NBA Championship this summer, this city has an entirely new vibe – an exciting one for the first time in years.
The last time the Browns were above .500 was back in 2007 when they went 10-6 under quarterback Derek Anderson. Since then, the team has struggled finding a winning attitude and has consistently won only a handful of games each year.
This offseason the organization picked up veteran quarterback Robert Griffin III and hired former Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. In my honest opinion, I believe that this team is on the rise due to these to additions. Jackson has only been a head coach once in his career and he was quite successful with what he had in Oakland. I have the Browns winning more than 6 games this year just because of the coaching staff and how much dedication has been shown over these few short months.
When this team faces the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, you can expect a solid offensive performance from quarterback Robert Griffin III, his receivers, and you will also be surprised at how fast this defense truly is. Younger players are the best when it comes to speed. Would you rather have an old beat up team or an extremely young and devoted group of athletes? Your choice.
With all that being said, I think the Cleveland Browns come out of Lincoln Financial Field with a victory. It will be decided by a field goal and will be a tightly contested matchup.
Final Score Prediction: 30-27 Browns
Tom Farmer:
Cleveland has a lot to prove in this one game. They are an underdog on this road trip and face and elite defensive line and have a shaky offensive line. Keeping QB Robert Griffin III upright and keeping his jersey clean is a must to even come close to winning this game. That’s also going to put some pressure on the receivers. Terrelle Pryor, Corey Coleman and Gary Barnidge need to be on point so RGIII can get the ball to them on time and as soon as possible. Isaiah Crowell could have a big game tomorrow. His rushing attack may not be at his best but with his ability to catch the ball, as well as Duke Johnson Jr., will be mandatory against the Eagles pass rush. Don’t be surprised to even see Johnson lining up at receiver in Jackson’s unique offense.
The defense is the biggest question mark on this whole team. With rookies and second year players playing on the defensive line, expect raw, aggressive play and a lot of blitzing with Ray Horton calling plays. With ILB Paul Kruger being cut and former first rounders Barkevious Mingo and Justin Gilbert being traded away, the secondary is going to have its struggles in pass coverage. Joe Haden is back with the team after an injury ridden season last year hoping to get back to leading this secondary along with veteran Tramon Williams. Keep and eye on rookies Carl Nassib and Emmanuel Ogbah to get quality playing time from their productive preseason play. They could be future pro bowlers in the making if they keep the aggressive play up.
With all that being said, I said before the preseason that the Browns could win this game and I do believe that they come up with the win based on the fact that Carson Wentz is starting and will make a few rookie mistakes. The defense will still have a long way to go but the offense will be fun to watch at the least.
Final Score Prediction: 34-17 Browns
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